The Design of Central Vista Delhi

P R E S E N T E D B Y :
A N U B H U T I A L O K
B A R C H / 1 0 0 1 0 / 1 6
V I D H I J H A
B A R C H / 1 0 0 1 1 / 1 6
D I V Y A K O T H A R I
B A R C H / 1 0 0 1 4 / 1 6
URBAN DESIGN :
CENTRAL VISTA AND CAPITOL
COMPLEX, NEW DELHI

INTRODUCTION :
 In the planning of New Delhi in 1916, the
Central Vista was conceived as a
landscaped stretch to form continuity
between the ridge and the river Yamuna.
 The stretch with the Rashtrapati Bhawan
and the India Gate at two ends has
tremendous visual quality and is one of the
finest examples of Urban Design and
monumentality in planning in the world.
 Central Delhi has a honeycomb like pattern
of planning, with larger hexagons forming
smaller ones, while interlocking with one
another.
 One such formation occurs at the end of the
vista, around the India Gate forming a
huge public space with the following utilities
:

THE ARCHITECTS :
 British architect Sir Edwin
Lutyens was responsible for
much of the architectural design
and building during the period of
the British Raj, when India was
part of the British Empire in the
1920s and 1930s and 1940s.
 He was the principle architect of
the project along with another
English architect Sir Herbert
Baker.
 The area was constructed after
the British decided to move the
capital of their Indian Empire from
Calcutta to Delhi, by creating a
new district of the latter entitled
New Delhi
Sir Edwin
Lutyens
Sir Herbert
Baker

NEED FOR THE PROJECT :
 The capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (in
1911) Reasons for the shifting of the capital:
 Controversial partitioning of Bengal in 1905 –
right to vote between Bengali Hindus and
Muslims.
 Delhi’s geographical position at the centre of
north India (roughly equidistant from Bombay
and Calcutta)
 Delhi’s historic importance (important seat of
the Mughal empire; for Hindus-Mahabharata-
era city of Indraprastha)
 Perceived political need to rearticulate British
power.
Thus, the capital shifted and a new
capitol complex was needed by the
administration which led to the
designing of the region.

T H E B R AI N S B E H I N D T H E C AP I TO L C O M P L E X
AN D C E N T R AL V I S TA
THE CONCEPT

The Site
 Lutyen’s vision was to
plan Delhi like other
great capitals of the
world with broad long
avenues, flanked by
sprawling lawns,
impressive mountains
punctuating the avenue
and, the symbolic seat of
power at the end.
 Lutyen’s found the
perfect geographical
location in the low
Raisina Hill, west of
Dinpanah (Purana
Quila).
 This hill became the
focus of Lutyen’s and
Baker’s plans for the
new city.
Washington DC Lutyen’s Delhi

The Layout Plan
•Lutyen’s had initially
designed Delhi with all the
streets crossing at right
angles, like New York.
•However, Lord Hardinge
told him about the dust
storms that sweep the
landscape in the particular
part of the town, and
insisted on roundabouts,
hedges and trees to break
the force , giving him plans
of Rome, Paris and
Washington DC to study and
apply to Delhi.
•New Delhi was developed
on a geometric design-
mainly the use of hexagons
and triangles- and had its
core the Central Vista.

The Contour
•It was Swinton Jacob,
advisor on Indian materials
and ornaments, who
suggested raising the
ground level of Government
House (or Viceroy’s House),
on a carefully studied
contour plan—not Lutyens.
•Placed on the ground, it
would have been less
grandiose.
•The plinth was raised by
over three metres (10 feet),
and this was to enshrine
forever the stunning eastern
view along the axis, right up
to Purana Qila (Old Fort).

The Materials
•The use of the superb
rhubarb-red and beige-
pink sandstones for
Rashtrapati Bhavan is
also credited to Lutyens.
•But, he had actually
opposed it in favour of
white marble as used in
the Taj Mahal.

The Greenery
•It was P.H. Clutterbuck
who compiled a list of 72
species of trees that
would green the area
successfully and reported
on 18 August, 1912 that
the afforestation of the
Ridge was "decidedly
possible".
•Using Clutterbuck’s list of
Indian trees, W.R. Mustoe,
director of horticulture,
was actually responsible
for the roadside planting
work for New Delhi’s
avenues.
•Today, Lutyens is credited
for the greening of the
Ridge where the trees
have lasted almost a
century.

A D I L I N E AT I O N O F T H E VAR I O U S R E G I O N S
E N C O M PAS S E D B Y D E L H I ’ S I M P E R I AL Z O N E
DIVISION OF THE CENTRAL
VISTA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1: Rashtrapati Bhawan
2: Jaipur Column
3: Secretarial Building (North and South
Blocks)
4: Vijay Chowk
5: Rajpath
6: Rajpath
7: Rajpath
8: India Gate
Region

The stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to Vijay
Chowk
Source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/13651661/A-Map-to-Delhis-Imperial-Zone-Rajpath

1 2

3 4

The stretch from Vijay Chowk to India Gate

5 6

7 8

Elements of Urban Design
Following are some general elements of Urban Design in any Urban Design Project:
1. Landmarks/Buildings: They shape and articulate space by forming the street walls of the
city. The buildings along Rajpath have been an essential part of the cityscape of New Delhi.
2. Public Spaces: Great public spaces are the living room of the city - the place where people
come together to enjoy the city and each other. Public spaces like Connaught place form the
heart od the city.
3. Streets: These are the connections between spaces and places, as well as being spaces
themselves. Rajpath not only connects but also provide a backbone to the city.
4. Transport: Transport systems connect the parts of cities and help shape them, and enable
movement throughout the city. This area is well connected by all means of transport.
5. Landscape: It is the green part of the city that weaves throughout, in the form of urban
parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms. The area has lush green lawns,
water bodies on both sides with several fountains and ornamental statues.
6. Massing: It describes the relationship of the building’s various parts to each other. It can be
clearly seen in the way the buildings have been composed along Rajpath.

Pedestrian – Friendly
Planning
o As one of the most
important corridors of the
capital of the country it
requires to be pedestrian
friendly.
o The Rajpath provides a
stretch of 60 m long and
15 m wide acts as a
connecting road with
ample space for
pedestrians.
o As the area consists of a
lot of offices and
administrative buildings,
wide footpaths with lush
green surroundings are
provided.
o There are benches in th
lawn beside the road and
street lights all along the

THE RAJPATH REGION

Landmarks
This region is the
stretch from
Rashtrapati Bhawan till
the India Gate Region.
Landmarks in this region
are:
1) The Rashtrapati
Bhawan
2) The Secretariat
Buildings
3) Parliament House
4) Jaipur Column

ABOUT
 The Rajpath is a 2.5km stretch which forms a strong linear axis with strong focuses on either end.
One either side of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan are the two Secretariat buildings- the North & the
South block, which houses government offices at present.
 The Rashtrapathi Bhavan along with the North & the South blocks are one of Lutyen’s & Baker’s
memorable achievements, in terms of architectural design and scale.
 The architecture is a synthesis of British Imperialism & Indian elements, with Lutyens & Baker
drawing inspiration from Buddhist religious complexes on one hand, and Mughal architecture on
the other.
 There are traces of classical style, with columns and colonnaded verandahs.
 These are interspersed with chatris, jaalis and chajjas borrowed from the traditional Indian
architecture.
 The composition is symmetrical and formal with a strong central axis and the Rashtrapathi Bhavan
as the focus, on top of the Raisina Hill.
 There is an interesting story regarding the positioning of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan on top of the
Raisina Hill.
 At present, only the top of the dome of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan is vaguely visible from below.
 While Lutyens intended it to be the primary focus of the composition, Baker was successful in pushing

Architectural Features of the Landmarks: Rashtrapati
Bhawan
 The Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly
Viceroy's House) is the official residence
of the President of India located at the
Western end of Rajpath in New Delhi, India.
 Rashtrapati Bhavan may refer to only the
340-room main building that has the
president's official residence, including
reception halls, guest rooms and offices,
also called the mansion.
 It may also refer to the entire 130-hectare
(320 acre) Presidential Estate that
additionally includes huge presidential
gardens (Mughal Gardens), large open
spaces, residences of bodyguards and
staff, stables, other offices and utilities
within its perimeter walls. In terms of area, it
is the largest residence of any head of state
in the world.

Architectural Features of the Landmarks: Rashtrapati
Bhawan
 Lutyens' early designs were all starkly classical and entirely
European in style.
 His disrespect for the local building tradition he dismissed as
primitive is evident in his numerous sketches.
 Nevertheless, several essential features from the Indian
architecture were incorporated into his architectural design. To
name a few, the Dome was inspired by the Sanchi Stupa;
elements like chhajjas, chhatris and jaalis, and motifs like
elephants, cobra, temple bells etc. all have an Indian connect.
 It was designed around a massive square with numerous
courtyards and open spaces within.

Architectural Features of the Landmarks: Secretariat
Building

Architectural Features of the Landmarks: Parliament House

STREETS
•Lutyens conceived of a
modern imperial city
centred around a
"ceremonial axis", such
axis being the large
boulevard now called the
Rajpath.
•The street network had
extremely wide avenues.
•The road network
consists of diagonals and
radials, at 30/60 degrees
to the main axis, forming
triangles or hexagons.
•The road network at
Rajpath is extensively
used for parades during
Republic Day.

PUBLIC SPACES
o There are wide lawn
on both sides of the
Rajpath open for
public utility. These
lawns have continuous
water body running
alongside it and
benches and public
seating through out.
o The Rajpath also acts
as a public space with
street vendors on it’s
sides.
o The circular area
enclosing the India
Gate is one of the
most popular public
spaces in the city.
o Connaught Place : Named after Prince Arthur, 1st Duke
of Connaught and Strathearn, construction work began in
1929 and was completed in 1933. It is the hub of the city
with several shopping centers, clubs, restaurants and
gathering spaces which are well landscaped and built in
the similar British architectural style.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM
o The original design of the
road network was
capable of
accommodating 6000
vehicles, however these
avenues, had the
potential of increasing
their carriage way the
reason why the road
layout has survived till
today.
o The metro line is well
connected to area with
nearest stations including
Udyog Bhawan, Central
Secretariat and Rajiv
Chowk.
o There are regular autos
and rikshaws running in
the entire area. The local
buses also run 24 x 7
across the area.

LANDSCAPE
o Mughal Gardens :
Spread over a vast
expanse of 15 acres,
Mughal Gardens has
often been portrayed, and
deservedly so, as the
soul of the Presidential
Palace. The Mughal
Gardens draw its
inspiration from the
Mughal Gardens of
Jammu and Kashmir, the
gardens around the Taj
Mahal and even
miniature paintings of
India and Persia.
o Trees are planted all
along the Rajpath and in
the radii of every
administrative building.
o Like the building of Rashtrapati Bhavan have two different styles of
architecture, Indian and western, similarly, Sir Lutyens brought together two
different horticulture traditions together for the gardens, the Mughal style and
the English flower garden.
o Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with
European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.

LANDSCAPE
o Apart from roses, tulips,
Asiatic lilies, daffodils,
hyacinth and other seasonal
flowers beautify the gardens of
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
o There are more than seventy
varieties of seasonal flowers
including exotic bulbous and
winter flowering plants.
o The garden also grows 60 of
the 101 known types of
bougainvilleas. Edging and
flowering of flower beds is done
with alyssum, daisy, pansy etc.
o The grass that covers the
garden is the doob grass,
which was originally brought
from Calcutta (now Kolkata)
when the Mughal Gardens was
being planted.
o The Gardens has almost 50
varieties of trees, shrubs and
vines including Moulsiri tree,
Golden Rain tree, flower bearing
Torch Tree and many more.
o Rose remains a key feature of the Mughal Gardens even today. The Gardens
boasts of growing 159 celebrated varieties of roses which blossom primarily
in the month of February and March.
o They include, Adora, Mrinalini, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Modern Art,
Scentimental, Oklahoma (also called black rose), Belami, Black Lady,
Paradise, Blue Moon and Lady X.
o The Mughal Gardens also include roses named after people of national
and international fame such as Mother Teresa, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mr.
Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Jawahar, Queen Elizabeth, Christian Dior amongst
others. Arjun and Bhim, from the Mahabharata, also find place in the
presidential palace.

THE INDIA GATE REGION

FUNCTIONAL
DIVISION :
India Gate
August Kranti
Maidan
Side Park
Children’s
Park National War
Memorial

THE INDIA GATE :
 The India Gate (originally the All India War
Memorial) is a war memorial located astride
the Rajpath, on the eastern edge of the
"ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called
Kingsway.
 It stands as a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of
the British Indian Army who died in between
1914–1921 in the First World War, in France,
Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa,
Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the
Far East, and the third Anglo-Afghan War.
 13,300 servicemen's names, including some
soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom,
are inscribed on the gate.

DESIGN FEATURES :
 Situated at the end of the Raj path,
making a visual axis with the rastrapati
bhavan.
 a span of 30 feet, 42-metre tall India gate
: a centrally located huge arched
gateway , creating a sense of strength
and importance
 has a low base of red Bharatpur stone
and rises in stages to a huge moulding.
The shallow domed bowl at the top was
intended to be filled with burning oil on
anniversaries but this is rarely done.
 The memorial-gate hexagon complex,
with a diameter of about 625 metres,
covers approximately 306,000 m² in area.
 According to the special building byelaws of the
region, buildings have to maintain lower heights tan
the structure, to retain its dominance in the skyline.
 Lutyens described the style as a commemoration
based on "universal architectural style free of religious
ornamentation".

NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL
Location :
New Delhi
Architects:
WeBe Design Lab
Area:
109265 m²
Function : Memorial
Public Space
Monument
Year:
2019

HISTORY & PURPOSE :
 The request for the National War Memorial
(NWM), India was placed by the armed
forces in 1960.
 The consideration acquired momentum in
2015.
 International two stage competition was
held for the design and implementation of
the NWM by the Ministry of Defence,
Government of India. WEBE Design Lab
won, headed by Ar Yogesh
Chandrahasan.
 India’s NWM was finally inaugurated on
25th Feb 2019 by Honorable Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Need : To acknowledge the service of brave soldiers
who sacrificed their lives for the country, serving as
a central gathering space for the community, a
tourism boost further enriching the area around the
India gate and ceremonial purposes.

CONSTRUCTION :
 The construction of the
NWM began in July
2017
 The construction of the
memorial is based on
granite and
sandstone, which
were transported from
Rajasthan
 22 trees were cut to
build the memorial and
715 saplings were
planted to replace
them
Water coming out of the water spout, flowing into a channel.

ABOUT :
 The memorial is a gestation on the
idea of rebirth of those unsung
heroes through their stories, journey
and struggles translated as spatial
expressions.
 A culmination to the historical Rajpath
extending through the India Gate, the
National War Memorial is an open
landscaped public space spread over
42 acres in the C -hexagon.
 Mostly invisible but strongly present, it
is a semi-subterranean design
remaining a peoples’ place but with a
different dimension of emotional
weight.
Stepped Circle serves for seating purpose,
standing of soldiers during ceremonies, gives
height to the entry point from where the
campus can be seen completely.

DESIGN APPROACH :
 The Iconic India Gate,
brims with an average
footfall of 50,000 ppl/day.
Inset within the bustling C
Hexagon the lawns were
retained to be active
public spaces to play,
meet, relax and more. This
Capitol complex has a
central axis, the Rajpath-
The ceremonial path from
the President’s home, that
runs across and ends at
the India Gate.
 The newly built NWM
retains the axis and bestows the essence of hierarchical importance upon the overall footprint.

ACTIVITIES & USE :
 Figures
representing
public flow
during :
 National
Ceremonies
 Daily
Ceremonies
 Everyday
flow

ACTIVITIES & USE :
 Statutes, water fountains and
monuments
 Plaza space
 Wide circumambulatory
pathways for walking, jogging
 Seating spaces with shades

CONCEPT :
 A series of five concentric circles has been used
representing various chakras in accordance to
Indian history and mythology :
 Circle of Immortality (Amar Chakra) The 15-metre
tall obelisk carrying the eternal flame symbolizes the
immortality of the Jawans that they will never be dead
and they will always live in our memory. It is set in a
larger circular court which also is the ceremonial
space.
 Circle of Bravery (Veer Chakra) A semi open corridor
and gallery holding the brave stories of significant
historic battles in Indian history of the Army, Navy and
Air force. Six important battles of the army, air force
and navy, which have been depicted in bronze.

CONCEPT :
 concentric circles in accordance with the wars, gloriously housing the names of 25,700 war heroes,
who sacrificed their life post-independence for the Nation. It is a 1.5 metre concrete wall, with self-
interlocking granite blocks placed over it. Each block represents a Martyr, and is engraved with his
name, rank and number.
Circle of Sacrifice (Tyag
Chakra): Inspired by the
historic “Chakravyuha”
Ancient war formation,
the Tyag Chakra is
arranged in

CONCEPT :
 Circle of War : The Yudhpath– is a
metaphorical placement of the
Rajpath (Path of life) with the
Yudhpath (Path of war).
 ESTABLISHING SYMBOL AND
MEMORY - Circle of Protection
The tree arrangement personifies
the territorial line of control- The
soldiers who are still there trying to
safe guard us in places unseen.
 The circle containing 690 trees also
helps in screening the busy roads of
the C Hexagon thereby creating a
calmer and protected space inside
the memorial.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :
Concrete
structure
with a
triangular
cross
section has
been used to
mount
granite
bricks.
These
blocks
interlock one
another as
shown in the
image.

THE GALLERIES
• The memorial has galleries with war
stories and pictures. A semi circular
gallery is formed along the inner circle
while the other half of the circle holds the
steps leading to it.
• circular columns hold the landscaped
roofs above creating a semi open
space.
• The circular structure is placed at the centre of the site with
two of its axes serving as exit/entry points.
• While the other two axes serve as ramps leading to the
main galleries which has been symmetrically placed on
either sides of the circular structure.
• Ramps lead the way to these galleries as they go beneath
the ground, keeping it naturally cooled

GALLERIES : PLAN & SECTION
• The gallery
has roofing
structure that
lets in natural
light from the
sides.
• There are two
symmetrically
placed
staircases on
both sides of
one access
point while the
access point on
the opposite
side has the
ramp.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :
The galleries have
continuous stretch of
landscaping on top of it
thus maintaining the
openness of the public
space
Water spouts are
placed on the wall,
which channels
flowing water into
water strips along
the interiors.

LIGHTING :
 The lighting in the central
court around the eternal flame
spearheads sideways and up
building a sense of eternity
as it fades out.
 The Thyag chakra seems
floating with a series of small
lights which resembles the oil
lamps that are light in
memory of the beloved ones
in any Indian home.
 The streaks of light on the
steps create a sense of
transition through the
concentric setup.
The project does not have any ambient light. As much as the light
brought in emphasis and character, the darkness made the required
experience deeper and absorbing.

DRAWBACKS
 In this whole process no attention was paid to the
problems of Old Delhi.
 Due to the creation of New Delhi, the old city experienced
a 28% surge in population from 1916-1926 resulting in
the spilling over of the population from inside the walled
city to the Paharganj area, whose restructuring was later
abandoned by Lutyens due to resource constraints.
 Also, no provision of housing was premeditated for the
large no. of skilled and unskilled workers which
immigrated for the construction work of New Delhi.
 This negligence of the planners towards Old Delhi
resulted in its transformation to a large slum area
through deterioration and dilapidation.
 The administrative area is spread over a very large area
which increases the economic pressures to maintain these
buildings on the government.

Redevelopment of Delhi's Central Vista
 The Centre on Friday notified change in land use in
Master Plan for Delhi 2021 paving way for
redevelopment of Central Vista and construction of a new
Parliament building and common secretariat.
 The project to redevelop Lutyens Delhi will include
construction of a common central secretariat complex, a
new Parliament building and redevelopment of Central
Vista with an underground metro line connecting all the
complexes.
 The plan would be to have the new Parliament on a 9.5
acre plot opposite the present Parliament.
 The first draft indicates that rather than occupying more
space, the new plan would free up about 75 acres of
land for public use. A common central secretariat
complex of 8-10 buildings would come up on either side
of Rajpath with entries opening towards Rajpath side.
 As per government’s estimates, it is paying Rs 1,000
crore as rent annually for its offices spread across Delhi.
This is the main logic for a common central secretariat.

References
 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=national+war+memorial+new+delhi&tbm=isch&chips=
q:national+war+memorial+new+delhi,g_1:architecture&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwj7l5Dw1ejo
AhXMVCsKHbN_Bq0Q4lYoB3oECAEQGw&biw=1350&bih=655
 https://www.archdaily.com/936907/national-war-memorial-new-delhi-india-webe-design-
lab?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_projects
 https://www.google.co.in/maps/@28.6133249,77.2301061,1034m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
 https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/central-vista-indian-national-trust-for-art-and-
cultural-heritage/QRVw3eVt?hl=en
 https://www.behance.net/gallery/13651661/A-Map-to-Delhis-Imperial-Zone-Rajpath
 http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/2011/07/lutyens-delhi-part-1-rajpath.html

The Design of Central Vista Delhi

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The Design of Central Vista Delhi